by K.N. Lee
Something stirred within her, a flutter of cold followed by warmth. A smile came to her face as a gentle breeze swept in and lifted her hair, cooling the sweat on her scalp and caressing her face.
Winter was coming, and with it, the Enchanted Kingdom would shield itself from the rest of the world—from the darkness that always seemed to knock on their door.
A curse plagued the fae folk, the shifters, and the scattered tribes of humans. Under the rule of the Davidian Clan, there was at least peace.
To be untouched—unmarred by the Serpent Sister’s Curse, meant that danger came in many forms.
From dark forces.
From witches.
From desperate men.
Just days ago, one of Elle’s best friends had been kidnapped and whisked away by a gang of men. To be wed and mated to their sons, no doubt.
Poor Magda.
Elle, on-the-other-hand, she was destined for a different future.
She would escape the Enchanted Kingdom on a boat, sail to a faraway place, and live out her life as a baker.
Yes, to only worry about flour, eggs, milk, and sugar would be a grand life—a life worth living.
A knock came on her door.
She gasped, shooting a frightened look over her shoulder. With a sweeping of her hand, she calmed the flames of the fire and sent them vanishing into the air like embers in the wind.
“Elle,” a familiar voice called.
She stiffened, closing her eyes. “Come in, Anna.”
The maidservant opened the door, peeking inside.
“I saw light, miss,” she said, peering around the room, a look of confusion on her face when she realized that the room was dark. “Are you in need of anything?”
Elle shook her head. “No, dear. I may take a walk around the gardens.”
“At this hour, miss? The others still sleep.”
“Do not worry. The guards are always watching over us. No harm will come to me.”
“Are you certain?” Anne asked. “I can accompany you.”
No, she thought. You don’t want to follow where I must go.
Instead of voicing her thoughts, she simply forced a small smile and approached the young blonde with a brighter future ahead than her mistress.
She took her by the shoulders, the truth in her eyes.
“I will be back before breakfast,” she said, keeping her voice light. “Then, we can read by the lake.”
Anne grinned. Though she was a servant—a human with no magic, no ability to shift, and no prospect for bearing children, Elle envied her. She’d give anything to be like her.
To be free.
After dressing, Elle ventured out into the early dawn. Before the others awakened, while the maids fetched hot water for the morning washing, she stalked the gardens.
The cold, wintry air swept around her, lifting her hair from the hood of a fur-lined cloak. Back home, the sun would rise above the distant mountains, and cast its glow onto her as she lay in the hay, chewing wheat and daydreaming of the ocean.
She’d never seen it before, and the tales her grandfather would tell would feed her imagination for the rest of her life.
Violet flowers bloomed along emerald ivy that wrapped around the iron gates that separated the monastery from the wild world beyond. It was a stark contrast to the white snow.
A pop of color in untainted territory.
She observed the towers, and the guards who stood high above, looking over the entire frosted valley.
It would take some crafty thinking to get past them.
She took off her gloves, in need of true feeling. With her hands wrapped around the bars of the gate, she breathed in a cleansing breath. The chill of the iron was almost too much to handle, but she held on, wishing by some divine intervention, that the gate would creak open, and she’d be free to run.
Did her grandparents know what they were sending her off to? That this place was more of a prison than a sanctuary?
The questions fleeted from her mind as her eyes narrowed at the majestic white wolf standing on the other side of the gate. Only a few feet away, he blended in with the snow and ice-covered trees that lined the road leading to town.
Where did he come from?
Her breath caught in her throat as bright blue eyes met hers, and white smoke puffed from the wolf’s snout.
She wasn’t sure why, but something stirred within her. She knelt to the ground, and without hesitation, reached out a hand through the bars.
As if pleading, she reached for him in a silence that spoke volumes.
“Please,” she whispered. “Don’t leave me.”
A grunt escaped her lips as someone grabbed her by her hair and yanked her to her feet. She shot a look over her shoulder, not surprised in the least to see Father Lewis glaring down at her.
“What are you doing out here?”
She shook her head, utterly terrified of the leader of the monastery, his dark eyes portals to true evil.
With trembling lips, she turned to seek out her white wolf.
To her dismay, he was gone.
She closed her eyes, wondering if he was real, or just her imagination. At times, it was difficult to tell the difference.
But, the truth remained, Father Lewis had her in his clutches, and she’d be punished.
Turning to face him, she feigned innocence.
“Nothing, Father,” she said, speaking as sweetly as possible over the shaking of her voice. “Just a walk through the gardens. Apologies if I’ve gone too far.”
“You could have been kidnapped, or murdered!”
She nodded, frantically. “Yes, Father. I know, Father. It won’t happen again.”
He frowned, but considered her words. He let go of the handful of her hair, and shoved her back toward the main building. “Off with you. Repent for you sins at the ceremony today, you foolish girl.”
She nodded, thankful to be let free with such minimal scolding. She ran, not looking back, snow flying as her boots carried her along the path.
No gods or wolves will set you free, she told herself.
Still, there had to be another way.
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A Look at Fate of the Goddess
From inside a cage, the world seemed bleak.
Especially for the children of a god who had been sent to his eternal slumber. Even if their father was one of the lesser gods, the twins were meant to rule them all.
They had been chosen through an act of sacrifice. None of that mattered now.
Their beautiful manor was the scene of a massacre. Mother and father were dead.
Now, the Vault was their home with all of its dark and dismal glory.
They couldn’t even grieve the loss of their parents in peace. Every minute of every day was plagued by cold and darkness, with the occasional act of torture.
This was to be their lives until the day Litha decided it fit to have them executed.
Preeti could barely lift her head from resting on her brother, Vineet’s lap when the guard, Pavvi entered the dungeons.
Dressed in leather armor made in Pollos by the Dreamweavers, he was too skinny to even be considered for any occupation in the army other than a prison guard.
With wild red hair and freckles scattered all over his cheekbones, Pavvi reminded Preeti of a ragdoll she used to have as a child.
Vineet smoothed Preeti’s hair. He leaned down to whisper in her ear. “It’s time.”
Pavvi pressed his smug face to the bars as he looked down at them.
“Supper time!”
Preeti winced as he poured their soup onto the already damp stone floor. As she watched the thin liquid splash and trail though the floor’s creases, her stomach grumbled.
Neither of the twins had eaten in days. Pavvi only fed them their meals once a week, and that cycle had gone on for months.
“Just leave us alone, Pavvi,” Preeti said, her bright gray eyes glaring at him.
“Why? You’re
so fun to watch suffer. Come now. Just lick it off the floor. I won’t tell anyone the infamous Latari twins eat just like dogs.”
Preeti’s face heated. If only she could get her hands on her swords. She imagined grabbing his lips with her fist and slicing them off with her sharpened blade.
Closing her eyes, she imagined his cries of agony. One day.
Maybe today.
Preeti had trained in every form of combat. Killing a lowly guard would be nothing to her.
She’d never killed anyone and had never wanted to until she and Vineet were charged with treason and imprisoned by the Goddess of Law.
How could Litha convince anyone that Preeti and her brother were frauds when everyone in attendance saw them get sacrificed, and come back from the Cliffs of Ranoun alive?
It had been a life-changing day.
To face certain death and be spared. Preeti and Vineet never had dreams of ruling the gods, but their shared experience proved to them as well as to the citizens of Aden that they were chosen.
Destined.
Now, she wished they could simply return to when life was simple and there were no responsibilities outside of their daily studies and training. To rest in bed with a book until breakfast was prepared was a common dream for Preeti now. How she wished she hadn’t taken her good life for granted.
Preeti coughed, the back of her throat dry. She and Vineet would have to conserve their energy if they wanted to escape.
“Bastard,” Preeti said under her breath.
Pavvi kicked the bars with his thick boot. “What was that?”
Preeti sighed. It took everything in her to stand, even more, to hobble over to the bars of her cell. She wrapped her hands around the bars, standing right before him.
Pavvi jumped back, fear in his eyes.
“Get back!”
“Why do you have to be so hateful? What have we ever done to you?”
He grabbed a long, silver pole and stabbed her through the bars with it.
Hope filled her body even faster than the intense heat that entered her belly.
Despite the pain from harnessed lightning, Preeti grabbed the sharp end of it and ripped it away from Pavvi’s grasp.
A triumphant grin came to her face as she flipped the pole to point its end at Pavvi.
It worked.
His face turned ashen as he looked down at the sharp end, sparks of lightning racing up and down the steel like blue and silver cords of light. The heat radiated off the steel and warmed Preeti’s chilled cheeks.
“Good job, Pavvi,” Preeti purred. “There is one thing I can honestly say that I truly love about you.”
“What’s that?” He asked, sweat beading on his forehead.
Preeti leaned forward. “You can be so predictable.”
Vineet came to his feet. He stood a half-foot taller than Preeti. They shared the same straight black hair, large gray eyes, and matching intricate black tattoos on their light bronze-colored flesh.
Vineet was built much more muscular, but Preeti had a slim, athletic build that made her a formidable opponent even to men.
Nonetheless, Pavvi looked ready to soil his pants at the sight of them not looking half as downtrodden as he’d been led to believe.
They were gods after all.
About the Author
K.N. Lee is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author who resides in Charlotte, North Carolina. When she is not writing twisted tales, fantasy novels, and dark poetry, she does a great deal of traveling and promotes other authors. Wannabe rockstar, foreign language enthusiast, and anime geek, K.N. Lee also enjoys helping others reach their writing and publishing goals. She is a winner of the Elevate Lifestyle Top 30 Under 30 "Future Leaders of Charlotte" award.
She is signed with Dragon Roots Emporium and Patchwork Press.
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Also by K.N. Lee
The Wicked Crown:
Throne of Deceit
Throne of Malice
Throne of Peril
Throne of Envy
Dawn of the Seraphim:
The Blood Lottery
The Fallen Wall
The Ashen City
The Dragon Born Saga:
Half-Blood Dragon
Magic-Born Dragon
Queen of the Dragons
War of the Dragons
Fate of the Dragons
Curse of the Dragons
Wrath of the Dragons
The Chronicles of Koa Series:
Netherworld
Dark Prophet
Blood Princess
Crimson King
The Eura Chronicles:
Rise of the Flame
Night of the Storm
Dawn of the Forgotten
Prophecy of the Seer
Empire of Dragons Chronicles:
Fallen Empire
Reign of Magic
Fire and Fury
Realms of Ruin
Guardians of the Five Worlds:
Fate of the Goddess
Fall of the Gods
Titan Academy for Mages:
Awakened
Enchanted
Charmed
Battle for the Half-Blood Princess:
Academy of Lost Souls
Academy of Darkness